Guests And Hosts

Advertit sanctitas vestra, fratres, evangelicam lectionem, quemadmodum Dominus discipulis suis inter caeteras exsequendas virtutes, etiam hospitalitatis jura praescripserit: ait enim: In quamcunque civitatem introieritis, interrogate quis in ea dignus sit: et ibi manete, donec exeatis, et reliqua. Sancta plane et divina sententia, quae et discipulis eligendi optionem primitus detulit, et facilitatem penitus amputavit. Providit enim modum statuendo, ne vir sanctus aut citus esset in judicando, aut levis in hospite commutando. Sicut enim vobis permisit arbitrium, ita et voluit vos tenere constantiam. Quam enim reprehensibilie est ut vir, qui Evangelium annuntiat, et docet errandum non esse, ipse per diversos incipiat oberrare et domum, cui pacem dixerat deserere; hospitem cui benedictionem intulerat contristare. Magna enim hospitalitatis est gratia, nec facile violanda; omnibus aperta est, omnibus parata est, et sanctos libenter suscipit, et peccatores tolerat patienter. Sed repetamus sanctam ipsam divinamque sententiam; si enim in littera placet, et in mysterio forsitan plus placebit. Ait igitur: Ut cum intramus in civitatem, interrogemus quis in ea vel hospes dignus, vel idonea domus sit, et ibi maneamus donec dies profectionis adveniat. Quae sententia altiorem nobis tribuit intellectum; non enim mihi videtur de hujus saeculi hospite, vel domo jussisse, nec tam diligenter inquirere, sed de illo magis, qui nos usque ad diem exitus nostri possit inoffensos hospites, illaesosque servare. Nam hujus saeculi hospitem cita laedimus, cito offendimus: interdum ei et post triduum displicemus; fidelis igitur domus, et hospes dignus inquiri jussus est. Quae domus fidelior Ecclesia? Quis hospes dignior Salvatore? Iste peregrinos, ut filios suscipit; illa susceptos refovet, ut infantes. Iste hospitibus, sicut experti sumus, pedes lavare gestit: illa mensam parare festinat: quos enim Salvator viva aqua refrigerat, hos reficit coelestibus cibis Ecclesia. Hunc igitur hospitem evangelista inquiri jussit, et usque ad diem exitus nostri cum hoc habitare praecepti, ne aliqua levitate medio tempore aliorsum forsitan emigremus; hoc est qui semel in Christum credidimus, non iterum velut transgressores ad idola recurramus; scriptum est enim: Nemo potest duobus dominis servire: dum enim uni placere gestit, alterum sentit iratum. Christum igitur hospitem deserere non debemus, quemadmodum et Petrus apostolus cum suis similibus deserentibus aliis Dominum non reliquit; sed dicamus quod ille ad Salvatorem dixit: Domine, ad quem ibimus? Verba vitae aeternae tu habes, et nos credimus. Ecce exsecutor coelestium praeceptorum; qui quoniam Christi non mutavit hospitum, meruit cum Christo regni coelestis habere consortium. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia XCIX, De Hospitalitate Source: Migne PL 57 483a-4b

Turn your sanctity, brothers, to the Gospel reading, how the Lord prescribed to His disciples, among other virtues, the following of hospitality, for He said, 'In whatever city you enter, ask who is worthy there and remain there, until you leave,' 1 and so on. A holy and divine sentence certainly, which first took away the privilege of choosing from the disciples and utterly cut off ease. For he wished to establish a way, lest a holy man be either hasty in judgement or easy in his changing of place. For as He has given us free will, so even He wished us to hold to constancy. For how reprehensible it is that a man who announces the Gospel and teaches that one should not stray, himself might begin wandering between different men and houses saying that he finds no peace, the host of whom he brings the blessing of grief. Great is the grace of hospitality and not with ease should it be violated, to all it is open, for all prepared, and it receives the holy willingly and sinners it tolerates patiently. And let us reconsider the same holy and divine sentence, for if the letter pleases, in its more mystical sense it may please more. It is thus said that when we enter into a city we should ask who there is a worthy host, whose house is suitable, and there we should remain until the day of departure comes. Which passage offers a higher understanding, for it does not seem to me that this is about worldly hospitality, or a command about a house, nor about diligent inquiry, but more concerning that to the day of departure we should be inoffensive guests, serving without harm. For the host of this age we quickly wound and swiftly offend, and within three days we are displeasing to him, and therefore we are commanded to seek a faithful house and a worthy host. What house is more faithful than the Church? Which host more worthy than the Saviour? He receives wanderers like sons and He cherishes the ones he receives like children. He, as we know by experience, washes the feet of guests, He hurries to prepare the table, for those whom the Saviour refreshes with living water, the same he revives in the Church with the heavenly bread. This, then, the Gospel commands to be sought in the host, and it commands that we dwell there until the day of our exit, lest we go out, perhaps with a certain levity, in the middle of our time for something else, that is, that we who have once believed in Christ, should not again be as transgressors returning to idols, for it is written, 'No one is able to serve two masters.' 2 ; for while a man acts to please one, he angers the other. We should not then weary of the host Christ, as even Peter the Apostle, when others like him withdrew, did not abandon the Lord, but let us say what he said to the Saviour: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we believe.' 3 Behold, a follower of the heavenly precepts, he who since he did not change the host Christ, merited fellowship with Christ in the kingdom of heaven. Saint Maximus of Turin, Homily 99, On Hospitality 1.Mt 10.11 2 Mt 6.24 3 Jn 6.67-70